Pennsylvania Psychology Licensing Exam

Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology
(EPPP)

The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is designed to evaluate the knowledge that is considered fundamental to the practice of psychology. Most candidates taking the EPPP already have a doctoral degree in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D.), a year of supervised experience, and postdoctoral experience. Such candidates are expected to have acquired a broad basic knowledge of psychology, regardless of individual specialties. This knowledge, and the ability to apply it, are assessed through answers to multiple-choice questions that are representative of the field at large. The average pass-rate of doctoral level candidates who are taking the test for the first time is over 80% in the most recent years.

The examination covers eight major areas:

biological bases of behavior

cognitive-affective bases of behavior

social and multi-cultural bases of behavior

growth and life-span development

assessment and diagnosis

treatment, intervention, and prevention

research methods and statistics

ethical, legal, and professional issues

The examination consists of objective multiple-choice questions covering essential professional psychology knowledge. Each form of the examination contains 225 items, of which 200 are scored (25 are pre-test items). Each item has four possible responses, only one of which is the correct answer.

Candidates are allowed 4 hours and 15 minutes to take the EPPP exam, which is administered under standardized conditions at a specialized testing center. Test-takers may take breaks whenever they wish, however the clock on the exam continues to run. Before the examination begins, a basic introductory lesson (tutorial) is presented that explains the process of selecting answers and moving from question to question on the computer. Candidates are encouraged to take notes during the tutorial on whiteboards that are supplied at the testing center. Whiteboards are given out only upon request; they are not automatically supplied. Whiteboards will be collected by testing center staff at the completion of the examination. Test-takers are not allowed to bring in their own scratch paper.

The final EPPP score is determined solely by the total number of correct responses. There is no additional penalty for guessing or giving an incorrect answer. Therefore, it is to the
candidate's advantage to answer every item, even when unsure of the correct response. The candidate should choose the single best answer to each item.

The final score is a scaled score, which is an arithmetic conversion of raw scores (the number of questions answered correctly) in to a scale that ranges from 200 to 800. The recommended passing score of 500 is equivalent to a passing score of 140 (70%) that was applied to the anchor form of the examination. The level of knowledge represented by this score was adopted as a recommended minimum standard for independent practice as a psychologist. The recommended passing score for supervised practice is a scaled score of 450, which is equivalent to the raw score of 130 on the anchor form. All scores on the examination are reported as scaled scores.